Ruth Ann Moorehouse

Ruth Ann Moorehouse, also known as Ouisch, is a former member of the Manson family. She met Charles Manson for the first time when her father, Deane Moorehouse, a former minister, picked up three hitchhikers, Charles Manson, Lynette Fromme and Mary Brunner and brought them home.

Manson immediately took a liking to young Ruth. Manson hatched a plan to get Ruth alone. The next day Manson picked up Ruth not too far from her home. They drove to Mendocino, went to the beach and had sex in Manson’s van. While Manson and Ruth were at Mendocino Ruth’s parents had reported her as a runaway. The cops found them. Manson tried to dissuade the cops not to take Ruth and Manson was subsequently booked for interfering with an arrest.

Manson desperately wanted Ruth to join the “Family” but because of Ruth’s young age Manson recognized the potential trouble he would get if he took her with him. Manson told Ruth she could come with him if she was married and was “her own woman”. In May 1968, then 16-year-old Ruth married a 23-year-old bus driver named Edward Heuvelhorst in an effort to become emancipated. One day after the marriage Ruth left Edward and joined the Family.

According to Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi’s book, Helter Skelter, Ruth’s father, Deane Moorehouse, went to Spahn Ranch to kill Manson for stealing his daughter. “He ended up on his knees worshiping him.”

Ruth Ann’s Father in 1999

During the Tate/LaBianca murder trial Ruth tried to poison prosecution witness and fellow Manson family member Barbara Hoyt. This incident came to be known as the “Honolulu hamburger caper.”

Barbara was unsure about testifying and the family offered Hoyt an all expense paid trip to Hawaii if Barbara agreed not to testify. Barbara agreed. Ruth and Barbara took the trip to Hawaii where Ruth laced Barbara’s hamburger with ten hits of LSD. Barbara survived and was determined to testify against the family. Ruth along with four other family members were charged with attempted murder. The charge was later reduced to conspiracy to dissuade a witness from testifying.

In ’71 the five family members were given a 90 day jail sentence. Ruth, almost 9 months pregnant, failed to appear at the sentencing hearing and fled to her sister in Carson City, Nevada, to avoid giving birth in jail. Four days after her arrival Ruth gave birth to a daughter. In 1973 Ruth gave birth to a second daughter, Amber. Unfortunately Amber died at age 7. In ’75 the FBI located Ruth in Sacramento. The FBI did not arrest her but did inform Sacramento authorities who subsequently picked her up on the long-standing warrant.

On November 4, 1975 Ruth again appeared in court to be sentenced. The Judge did not give Ruth any jail time, instead he ruled that because she was abandoned by her father and “thrown willy-nilly into the Manson cult” she could go free with time served.

From The Los Angeles Times, 1975:

Ruth Ann Moorehouse, still wearing a bandage over plastic surgery she underwent to remove the forehead X that had marked her as a member of the Manson family, Tuesday made a brief and tearful court appearance in Los Angeles.

With Moorehouse at his side, unsuccessfully trying to fight back her tears, Fitzgerald (Ruth’s lawyer) told the judge that she did not appear for sentencing because she was nine months pregnant at the time.“The ‘family’ told her she had to shave her head and that she had to have her baby in jail.” Fitzgerald explained “And she wanted none of that.”

10 thoughts on “Ruth Ann Moorehouse”

Dear Ruth, hope you remember me (Joel Romero) we had fun for a short time in eighth grade, Judy Felders Birthday party you wore a dark blouse with a bunny on it . Time ran out and you went to Westmont and i went to Blackford , I always wondered what could have happened if i had kept in touch . It sounds like your enjoying life and that makes me feel good . I am on Facebook if you care to say hi.But for now take care …oh you were cute as a bunny i will never forget.

Ruthie, If you get this, remember that you have friends from your ‘new’ life. Haven’t seen you for almost 40 years. I remember a warm, wonderful lady.I hope you’ve found peace and happiness. Be safe. Hugs, Bob. (Bob from the Country House)

I hope Ruth Ann still goes to this website and sees this post. I want to say to her not to rack herself with so much guilt. She was just a kid then and it’s tough to avoid things when you don’t have a real strict dad, even when you have one!
She’s paid her debt with 45 years of guilt and building a family.
It’s time to let her live free.

I have the picture you are referring to but i know Ruth Ann doesn’t want any attention so i censored it. BTW it’s not a recent picture as some say, it’s actually a still from a video taken at her sons wedding in 2010. If you do find the picture please respect Ruth’s privacy and don’t share it online.

Heaven! To this day some members and family are afraid! Easy to understand, because they had a black past ….
I’m from Brazil and for two years I’ve heard the whole story of the Manson family …. but I would like to see how it is these days

gugahnyitz, I already know all of this. You got everything right except J. J is her daughter-in-law. I have access to the entire family’s FB and Insta including Ruth’s social media. (yes, Ruth is on social media , she uses an alias). We (thanks Richard) even managed to find out who the father of Ruth’s first born daughter is. However I respect their privacy and I don’t share any of the information with anyone. You should do the same.